Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Snow Ridge Great Wall
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[The Snow Ridge Great Wall].
There was no one alive who hadn't heard of this place. Even though there were now two barriers, in Lin's era, this was the only one referred to as the barrier.
The edge of the world, the boundary of civilized society....
When the azure-white cliffs sliced across the pale pink dawn, stretching above the southern horizon, Rain let out an exclamation even before Kasena did.
"That's the barrier...."
He wondered if it could truly be called a barrier.
Would humanity's technology ever reach the point of building such a structure? The [Snow Ridge Great Wall] was more graceful, majestic, and beautiful than any structure Rain had ever seen in his life.
It wasn't just the height—it overwhelmed onlookers with an indescribable sense of weight.
"How much farther do we have to go?"
「It'll take a full day, so we'll arrive around noon tomorrow.」
"Let's go faster! Pippi, what do you think it feels like to look down on the world from up there?!"
Kasena's pale purple eyes sparkled as she laughed merrily and dashed ahead toward the barrier with Pippi.
Alakishi, who always led the way, gazed up at the barrier with a look of deep nostalgia.
Was it because she had witnessed its rise from the very beginning under the gods' blessings? A strange curiosity stirred.
"Do you remember the day the barrier was built?"
「Of course I do. Dragons never forget. Especially memories from childhood.」
"You remember? From a hundred years ago?"
Alakishi's eyes, as she walked forward, quietly gleamed toward the empty sky beyond the barrier.
Somewhere beyond that barrier, recalling a distant day from the far past.
The memory of joyful play in the divine dragon's embrace with her four siblings felt both achingly distant and vividly clear, as if she could grasp it.
'Phiras, Grudaone, Shalesaroom, Zakan... are you all still with the great fire?'
The joy and sorrow of those childhood days had turned into a wretched grief, directed toward the dragon egg wriggling energetically on her back.
I have such memories, but this child has none of them.
In this freezing land, in this empire of death growing ever colder, could this child truly bear its mission...?
「Perhaps because only the gods know the reason, we must cherish those memories like nourishment throughout our immortal lives.」
It was unbelievable to Rain.
Even events from just 300 years ago were only vaguely remembered if they weren't particularly memorable.
"Then, Alakishi, you've actually met the Black Sun Karenden and Emita Page?"
「Of course. Karenden himself held this Alakishi's body in his arms on the very day I hatched from the egg.」
As she explained, Alakishi didn't look her usual stern self—she seemed almost shy, like a girl recounting tales from her youth.
「Come to think of it... Emita Page was there too. She was always with Karenden before he left this land.」
At the mention of ancestors, Kasena came dashing back—who knew how she'd heard—and leaned in eagerly.
Alakishi simply recounted what she had seen and heard, without any embellishment, yet it was utterly captivating, making time fly by.
In this era, where glimpses of the gods' age came only from books, where else could one hear such vivid accounts?
"Was our ancestor strong?! Super strong, right?! The founder of magic!"
「Certainly stronger than you lot now. But Emita wasn't specialized in combat to begin with.」
"Huh? Then you've seen how Karenden and Emita used magic too?"
What type were they?
One the creator of truth, the other the first sage to reach it—surely Yorhen type?
But Alakishi dashed those expectations by suddenly clasping her hands together.
「They both used it like this.」
"Huh?"
「I said they used their power by interlocking their fingers like this.」
It was bizarre. What did that even mean? That looked less like magic and more like a prayer posture.
Magic, the rational discipline, and prayer, the religious conclusion, were polar opposites.
And where did the magic circle fit in that pose? Kasena seemed to share the doubt, suddenly sketching runes in the air.
"Then what's this? I heard it's a bloodline limit passed down from our ancestor—is that a lie?"
「No, they did use that method too. When guiding disciples.」
Tch, neither was helpful.
Clap, clap-clap, clap-clap-clap... He tried interlocking his fingers repeatedly, even grabbing Kasena's hands, but it was all futile.
Interlocked-hand magic? He couldn't even grasp the activation principle. What did magic look like once you reached truth?
"What is this! I don't get it!"
Desperate to catch up to her ancestor in one go, perhaps, Kasena kept slapping her palms together before finally flopping into the snow in frustration.
Wait, is this her bedroom floor? How does she lie down so casually?
Seeing us more confused than delighted, Alakishi—stroking her chin—made a sudden proposal, perhaps out of pity.
「Then how about you two have a magic duel later?」
"Huh?"
「I can teach you the activation principle of Karenden's power, but I've seen a few times how he used it in battle.」
It was a shocking offer that made his eyes snap wide open.
A dream for any aspiring mage, yet impossible to receive in this era, no matter where you went.
Kasena and Rain exchanged wide-mouthed grins, and Alakishi nodded, satisfied with the reaction.
「I'll watch your fight once, then teach you by comparison.」
* * *
Madelia Page awoke in her mansion's bed and, as always since the black sun incident, reached for the nightstand.
There was always a goblet filled with the finest wine... as she'd instructed the servants.
But for some reason, no matter how much she groped, she couldn't find it. Without wine, she couldn't live—couldn't even sleep.
"You fool, how much of this bitter swill have you guzzled that the room reeks of alcohol enough to clog your nose?"
With a curt scolding, the curtains—kept drawn day and night, making the room darker than midnight—were yanked open all at once.
When had the sun risen...? Blinded by the dawn light flooding in, Madelia squeezed her eyes shut and cast telekinesis magic.
The curtains draped back, darkness reclaiming the room—or so it seemed—until they were ripped open again with a tearing sound, light pouring in once more.
"If I'd known you'd turn into such a wreck, I never would've passed my magical knowledge to you."
The hunched woman standing with her back to the sunlight was Chief Professor Marhena.
Marhena—friend of Madelia's late father (technically a year behind him)—had guided young Madelia's magic, so despite the status gap, Madelia used honorifics.
Turning weakly from the light, Madelia snapped irritably at the servants.
"Wine, bring wine. Right now."
"Stop it, you fool. Planning to drown in booze and die?"
"Better that way. So please, leave me alone."
"Madelia."
"I said leave me alone! Kasena, Kasena... she died because of me... What do you expect me to do?"
"You fool, how is it your fault? Did you summon the abyss? Good grief, then the Special Forces or Papal Office should be after you! Not innocent kids."
Marhena retorted incredulously, but her hand on Madelia's shoulder was tenderly compassionate.
Silence lingered for a while, then Madelia buried her face in Marhena's hand and began sobbing quietly.
Just like when young Anben Page died—expressionless throughout the funeral, yet weeping secretly by Marhena's side.
"I shouldn't have let her go to the Papal Office... Same with her leg injury last time, and now this... I should've stopped her stubbornness...."
They say when parents die, you bury them and mourn on anniversaries; when children die, you bury them in your heart and mourn daily....
She'd tried to bury Kasena, but no matter how she dug—heart tearing apart—she couldn't make a grave big enough.
That lovely smile still so vivid, those footsteps so missed... how could she bury her?
"Living over sixty years, I've seen much. The brighter the light, the quicker it burns out—the truly special ones leave far too soon. Like your father."
“…….”
"I'm so relieved you didn't end up like that. Your daughter's matter... truly regrettable."
If the Ludwigs heard that, would it offer even a sliver of comfort? For such an exceptional child, it wouldn't fall short.
But for Madelia, no comfort at all. Because.
"Professor Marhena, Kasena... that child never shone brightly even once...."
* * *
By dusk, after trekking diligently south, the barrier loomed ever larger, drawing near.
Alakishi judged this a good spot to camp, so Rain and Kasena faced off on the snowy plain.
Kasena slapped her palm with her fist, brimming with unexpected confidence. Did she have an ace up her sleeve?
"Don't hold back, Rain. You'll get scolded!"
"Hm, just once."
Sorry, but Kasena trailed years behind in magic combat experience alone. Talent aside, her proficiency wasn't even comparable.
"Eyah!"
Lowering her stance and glaring, Kasena darted sideways, flicking her fingers to scatter glowing characters in the air.
'Mobilizing her specialty—nice mobile attack!'
Whistling in approval, Rain suddenly felt his heart ache at the shadow of the past overlaying Kasena's face.
- Yeah, that's it. Not bad!
He remembered feeling the same and saying the same when Tureina tried something similar.
"Where're you looking!"
The runes flickering in the air as light orbs morphed into force. Fierce fireballs split into three and bore down on him.
Hm, new runes—Alakishi's dragon tongue? Still, no slacking.
In the next instant, a gust scattered the snow, sharply surging to nudge the fireballs' trajectory upward.
"First lesson: Magic isn't about speed alone."
He wagged his finger smugly—for a moment—until Kasena's knowing smile brought a ominous rush.
Since awakening Bell Quirius, he sometimes saw mana flows without focusing—exactly now.
Lethal mana currents gathered in Kasena's palm. And that was...?
'Runes in her palm...? When?'
Adapting the Page bloodline limit like Remidier type. Nice?
Kasena clenched her fist; the characters shattered, manipulating worldly power.
Multiple telekinesis variant? Heavy gravity yanked him down while redirecting the altered fireballs back at him.
"I knew you'd defend with wind magic! My win!"
Was this the same pathetic Kasena who whined about not even handling 1-star magic against him? Astonishing growth—chest swelling with pride.
But well....
Wrong opponent, or wrong teacher(?).
"Second lesson: Magic battles aren't over till they're over."
Kasena's triumphant smile froze.
What came first or second he'd only realize on review—Rain's magic was ridiculously fast.
Water surged from the ground, clashing with the fireballs in a deafening boom that shook the pine grove, steam blanketing vision.
In that sensory blackout instant, explosion-scattered droplets froze into daggers, raining down like arrows.
「That's enough.」
Alakishi's voice rang—she'd intervene if dangerous, so fight full throttle.
Flame currents simultaneously enveloped Kasena, melting the near-fatal daggers in a flash.
Only realizing late, Kasena's face twisted in frustration—but no worry, her eyes shone innocently.
"As expected, Rain's amazing! I thought I'd win!"
"No, not quite."
I've seen that look plenty—must've underestimated me.
"I'll catch up soon! Just watch! I'll learn more from Alakishi!"
No fair tactics...!
Too much—nearly teared up. I want to learn from Alakishi but can't.
Alakishi, reviewing the bout, finally nodded.
「Indeed, Rain is several levels beyond what this Alakishi imagined. No real contest.」
His heart twinged sweetly.
How long since praise made it pound like this?
School compliments were just awkward—professors were a notch below anyway.
「And you wield Karenden's techniques quite similarly. Switching or combining power attributes mid-battle for amplification was one of his specialties.」
But who was Alakishi?
True dragon. True dragon.
Five divine dragon servants, granted infinite mana and ultimate power—divine being. Immortal witness to Karenden and Emita.
「But in the overall framework of power usage, Kasena might be closer to him.」
Expecting more praise, chest puffed—he'd calmed it—then his head tilted.
"Huh?"
"What?"